From Greg Earle Sent Tue, Mar 24th 1998, 12:59
From Greg Earle Sent Tue, Mar 24th 1998, 12:59
Mr. Drukman writes:
>> those who have the talent to make music that people want to hear can do it
>> on anything, regardless of cost or sophistication. those who do not, we
>> generally find spending more and more money, surrounding themselves with
>> complicated gear, while their music becomes more two dimensional, less
>> human, more sterile, until no-one at all takes any notice of them, and they
>> give up.
>
> the musicians i respect the most know what to do with a studio full of
> expensive gear. it is easy to spot those who are overwhelmed by their
> gear list.
[ Poor Jon, hardly back with us and embroiled in a gear controversy. hehe ]
Indeed. I don't wanna speak for Jon but I suspect he's an acolyte in the
Church of Dangers and Key, and if there's two people who know more than they
do about what to do with a studio full of expensive gear, I dunno who they are
(maybe FSoL).
I got a chance to hear Jon's new Bass Kittens EP over the weekend and I liked
it quite a bit. If you likes yer Bleeps and yer Breaks, and yer Electro and
yer melodies, they're all there in spades. Nice job Jon.
I also saw the Roni Size "Brown Paper Bag" 12" and decided that since there
was this storm of controversy around it, I should find out what all the huff
was about. Needless to say I understand both sides of the coin - the original
poster I could see hating it/him for the short Radio Edit version, 'cuz the
vocals really annoy and the rest of the track doesn't do much. On the other
hand, I see why everyone else shot back at him, because the longer 7 minute
version isn't quite so annoying, and the Photek mix dispenses with the vocals
pretty much entirely and it's a perfectly nice listen. While I found other
things more tempting to buy (the Depth Charge "Disko Alien" 10" - where *does*
J. Saul Kane find all this BASS? - a Nico/Fierce/Optical release as "Fortran"
on 31, and a tasty atmospheric Techstepper on Moving Shadow offshoot Audio
Couture by Brass Wolf, which got a 9 in the latest Musik too, amazingly
enough), if I had more endless cash I wouldn't mind owning the Roni Size.
('Course, they also had the newer "Watching Windows" if I'd been inclined in
Roni's direction.)
The other thing I listened to was the Roupe 12" on Dot. Dot's already up to
Dot 009? Whoa ... Put it back though, reminded me too much of TKWSD again:
i.e. burbled pleasantly along, but without enough peaks and valleys to suck me
in with an "I'm timeless, buy me!" refrain. I guess Dot is just doomed to
stay in the "lukewarm" category with me. Now this dark Techstep mix tape by
local Junglizt DJ E-Sassin that I picked up, on the other hand - that's amore!
So much for my weekend shopping extravaganza,
- Greg